The Very Real Problem of Imaginary Problems 😱

Photo by Nik on Unsplash

It’s hard enough to solve a problem in your head, but imagine trying to solve a continuous loop of potential problems that might, or might not eventuate.

That can be what it feels like when your mind starts to worry. It can wander off, thinking about a situation that may or may not happen, and try to consider all the different possible scenarios and outcomes. An additional challenge can be that you might not even notice it’s happening, and the worrying thoughts just take over.  

There are two issues here. Firstly, it’s virtually impossible to solve so many problems in your head all at once. But also, as they're all imaginary scenarios you can't actually do anything about them anyway. 

If you don’t realise that they’re thoughts spiralling in your mind, you can quickly get consumed by them. They can feel very real - even though they're just in your head. 

The trouble is that research shows the we can treat a perceived threat in our mind in the same way we react to an actual threat. So, in an effort to try and help you address the danger that the mind thinks is a risk, it can trigger the fight or flight response.  This can send cortisol and other stress hormones into your blood, and suddenly the body is responding physiologically - the heart pumps more, and your breathing becomes more rapid. The focus shifts your worrisome thought from the mind to the body, and it now seems like an even more real threat. This physiological response can validate the mind’s initial concerns and then you’re faced with a challenge that feels much more real than it should.

To deal with this sort of situation, a first step can be to try and notice that you’re having the thoughts about possible scenarios that may or may not happen. From being able to notice and even name your thoughts (eg. I’m having the thought that I’m not going to be able to finish my report on time, and I’ll get fired), you can learn to distance yourself from them. This helps to get some perspective to see what are thoughts and what is actually happening in the real world. This approach has been proved by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy research for over 30 years.

There’s very little benefit in thinking about a seemingly infinite list of possible scenarios to possible problems, it just gets exhausting and distracts you from the real life that’s happening all around you. So as you can’t act on things that haven’t even happened, instead turn your focus on what’s happening now.

It’s likely to feel less stressful, and will reduce the likelihood of stress hormones being released to get you ready for a threat that isn’t even there.